Throughout the last few days at the Disneyland Resort, we’ve been live blogging all of the excitement surrounding the grand openings of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, completing the 5-year expansion and improvement project. Now it’s time to take a closer look at the details of these new areas, beyond their opening ceremonies and the rededication of the “new” Disney California Adventure theme park.

I’m beginning with an unusual choice for our first look inside Buena Vista Street, which is filled with a wealth of charm, nostalgia, and plenty of unique merchandise and tasty treats. Rather than exploring all that right away, I’m taking you inside the Carthay Circle Theatre and Restaurant, not to review its delightful food or enjoy its lavish decor (those articles will come later), but rather to enjoy a rather sight that links Disneyland of the past to Disney California Adventure of the future, a fitting beginning to all that’s new in the park.

From the restaurant’s balcony seating area overlooking Carthay Circle, patrons dining in the late evening can witness a new angle on Disneyland’s fireworks shows, viewing them from far across the esplanade and high up in the air. With Buena Vista Street running parallel to Main Street USA, it’s a straight shot to the Disneyland Train Station and beyond to Sleeping Beauty Castle, with a panoramic view of the fireworks ahead.

Video: Disneyland fireworks as seen from the Carthay Circle Restaurant balcony

The video above was shot on the evening of June 16, 2012, the Carthay Circle Restaurant’s second-ever night of operation. After an 8 p.m. dinner, watching this “Magical” fireworks show from the balcony, joined only by a handful of others, was a wonderful dessert to an equally wonderful meal.

As you can hear above, the music and sounds of Buena Vista Street are prominent while watching, particularly the clanging of the Red Car Trolley as it passes beneath.

I’m told the fireworks music may eventually be piped in to the balcony area, potentially with special fireworks viewing packages made available. But that’s still being decided. For now, any evening diners at Carthay Circle Restaurant can walk out onto the balcony (or even request a seat out there in advance) to enjoy the spectacular new view that’s one small part of the many improvements to Disney California Adventure.

In the coming days and weeks, keep checking back to Inside the Magic for more videos, photos, articles, reviews, and reports from Buena Vista Street, Cars Land, and other new experiences around the Disneyland Resort.

quote: potentially with special fireworks viewing packages made available – that will be nice but I hope it’s not too expensive (if they do decide to do that). Mental note: schedule dinner there at the time of DL’s fireworks.

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Based in Orlando, Florida, Inside the Magic was launched in 2005 by Ricky Brigante. The Inside the Magic podcast has since become the longest-running Disney podcast in the world, with a new show having been released every week since its inception.

InsideTheMagic.net still features our weekly podcast covering Disney and all theme park topics, also reaching out to grand openings, special events, conventions, travel, movies, and other pop culture excitement with exclusive interviews, news, high-quality videos, photos, reviews, and much more.